Loom.



E. 0. LA FRANCE.

L'oolvl. 1,209,173.y

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I. I9I6.

Patented Dec. 19,1916. Y 2 SHEETS-SHEET l- O S5 A Q o) PO f, o i {Qmi' SN b l@ NSA Alzesses. @Si N]- fl? jzlvm/m Y El 0U f y x jaar a rance E. o( LA FRANCE.

' APPLICATION FILED MAR. I. 151.6. Y 1,209,173. f y Patented De@.19,1 916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l- To all whom-t may concern:

l, STATES PATENT' orrrcn.:

ELzEA-B o. LA Fna-nen, or woncnsrna, MASSACHUSETTS.

VBe i known. that I, ELZEAR OILAJFVRANc-E, a citizen ofthe United States, lresiding at Worcester, in the county of Worcesterand `Coanr'nonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented anew. and useful Improvement in Looms, of which the following is a specification, accompanied by drawings forming al'artofthesame. he present' invention contemplates the provision of a loom capable of simultaneously weaving a'pl'urality 'of separate fabrics without interference, and in such a manner-that the threads of both fabrics will.

j be fully and completely exposed atthefront of the loom, for. inspection and repair by an operator-stationed in the usual position.

My invention embodies' various features of ynovelty in connectionv with the attain' ment of the above described objects, all of which are fully .setQ-forth in the following description and villustrated in the accom- Figure 1 is a; frontv view ofl 'my improved loom. Fig. 2'is a side view thereof.- Fig.

3 is a longitudinal 'sectional view. Fig 4 is a fragmentary viewl of a portion of the operating mechanism of vthe loom.

'-The'referencel numeral 1,

'Y framework'- of the loom, which` supports a transverse crank shaft 2. 'At the Vrear of the .framework are journaled lower and upper yarn beams 3v and 4. The warp threads "from the lower yarn beam 3 pass through the usual heddles, not shown, of lower harness frames 5, 5, and thence over lower f breas't beam 6 the warp threads' fromthe upper yarn beam f1 pass through the heddles o yupper harness frames 7, 7, and thence -over breastbeam 8 at the front of the'loom.

The corresponding members of the upper and lower pairs of harness frames for the two sets of warp 4threads are lconnected by straps 9, 9. A pair of straps 10, 10, attached torthe upper sides ofthe frames 7 ,.7 pass loose pulleys or the like 11,. 11, suitably supported by the arch of the frame 1. The

harness frames, by' any thus connected, are-operated well known means, as .by a pair of vibrating levers 12, 12, each connected to one of the lower harness frames 7, 7, by a strap 13,

and actuated by 'means of 'suitablyj` shaped cams 14, 14, on the driving shaft 15,

. :specification of rettersratent, Patented Dc, 19, 1916, Applicatioan'lea march 1,191e. serial N2. y s 1,:n1.v

crank shaft 2.v l

- The reference .numeral 18y designates as a whole, the la'y, which is made in upper and lowerparts,- as hereinafter descrlbed,

the upper part-providing a shuttle race 19 .for the weaving of the upper warp,- threads into a fabric, and the lowerv part providing a shuttle` race 20 for the weaving. of the lower warp threads into another fabric. At

the rear'of the race 20 the lower part 21 of the lay, which is pivoted at'22, provi'des the usual reed 235 at the rearV ofthe race 19 the upper part. 24 of the lay, which is piv-v otedV at l25 to the lower part, provides the reed 26. A- pair of links 27 connect the lower part 21 of the lay to cranks 28 on the'shaft 2, thus providing for the vibration of the lay 18 in the usual manner. A pair oflinks 429 also connect the lower part 21 to a pair ofracks supported for sliding.

movement in the framework; the reciprocationof 'these racks, dueto' the vibration of the lay imparts a predetermined rotation in each direction to the pinions 31 associated with said racks 30. In turn, the rotation of the pinions 31 is imparted to upper sl id`v ing `racks 32, which ofcourse move in direcvtions opposite to the racks 30. Said racks 32 are connectedI by links 33 to the ends of llevers 34, pivoted at 35, upon the stationary framework. .The other ends of said levers are connected by links 36 to the upper part 24 ofthe lay.

In the operation of the lay 18, constructed as above described, the amplitude of vibration of the'lower'shuttle race 20 is dependent on the throwof. the cranks 28a. By reason ofl the connected mechanism consisting of the racks 30 and 32 and lever 311 the amplitude of vibration' of the upper shuttle race'19, instead of being much .greater than that of the lower race, as would be the ycase if thelay 18 were a rigid structure, is made substantially the same as that of the lower race, said connected mechanism constituting 4in effect a parallel motion. That is, said connected mechanism so -vibrates the part 4211 about its moving pivot l25 that the'u'pper shuttle race 19l is always maintained sub- ',stantially perpendicularly above the lower the lower'shuttle race, picker-sticks 37, 37

are provided, while for the upper race, picker-sticks 38, 3S, are provided. These sets of picker-sticks are pivoted at 39, 39, on opposite sides of the loom, and each pair 37, 38, is actuated in unison by means of cranks 40, 40 formed on rock shafts 41, 41,

`to which they are attached by means of links or straps 42, 42, or any other suitable connectingy means. The shuttles of the upper and lower races are thus caused to move in the same directions at the same time. Each rock shaft 41 has attached thereto an arm 43, the other end of which is held against the periphery of a cam 44, on shaft 15, by means of springs 45, actingonsaid picker-sticks. A

The operation of the mechanism hereinbefore described will be clear to those conimproved loom; lfor instance, the usual versant withith'e operation of looms;l it being obvious that I have made provision for the Weaving of two separate fabrics, by the coperation of the usual mechanism, in the manner well known to those skilled in the art.V Any of the ordinary appurtenances which are provided in looms for the weaving I of a single fabric are equally applicable to both the upper and the lower portions of my mechanism for stopping the operation of the machine,upon the breaking of a thread may be readily applied to each part o f the present loom, the same being herein illustrated diagrammatically for the sake of clearness, by the stop motion levers 46, 46, which may be actuated by cams 47, 47, on the shaft l5.

rlfhe fabric woven by thelower part of the 'loom passes .from the breast beam 6 over a roller-48 and is wound in the usual mannei uplon a take-up roll 49, driven by gearing. 50,

50, from an intermittently rotated sprocket y 51, having an actuating eccentric 52 on the shaft 2. The take-up roll 49 is located in l the same relation to the breast beam 6 as in an ordinary single fabric loom. If, however, the take-up roll for the upper fabric were located in the same relation to the upper breast beam S, said roll and the fabric being wound` thereon would not only obstruct the 7ope'rators view of the lower fabric, but would prevent his access thereto for `the purpose of repairing .or adjusting the threads thereof. a l According to my invention the woven upper fabric isled around a roller 53,' and thence rearwardly of the machine to a takeup roll 54, driven by gearing 55, 55, from an Y intermittently rotated sprocket 56, having an actuatinnr eccentric ,57 on the shaft 2. `The weaving of the lower fabric is thus exposed to the full View of the operator at front of the machine and all of the operating' mechanism'for this lower fabric is, ,readily accessible. I y

The upper fabric, as above described 1s led rearwardly so as not to be superposed upon the lower fabi-1c; the weavipg of this upper fabric, at the rear of the breast beam S, is

.brought into the full viewof the operator,

standing atthe front of the loom, by means of a mirror 58, `adjustably mounted on trun: nions 59 above said fabric, and 'in Athe line of vision ofthe operator, who is thus enabled to watch the weaving of lboth fabrics without changing his position.

I am aware that looms for the weaving of a plurality of fabrics, one above the other,: have been heretofore proposed, and I therefore make no claim broadly to such construction; my invention resides in thearrang'e- "ment of parts whereby the weaving of the lower fabric is not obscured, and in the introduction of the several changes in theopstantially in vertical alinement.

3. In a loom for weaving simultaneously an upper and a lower fabric, a pivoted lay common to` both fabrics, means for oscillating said lay about its pivotal axis, said lay 'having two sections, one for each fabric, and means for equalizing the movement of the sections of `said lay.

4. In a loom, a lay providing a loaver lreed and an upper reed, means for vibrating said lay to move said lower reed in a path of predetermined amplitude, and means actu ated by the vibration of said lay for limiting the movement ofthe upper reed to a path of the same amplitude as the lower reed.

5. In a loom, a lay consisting of two hinged sections, each section providing a veach reed for maintaining said reeds subreed, means for vibrating onel section, and means actuated by the vibrationof the first section for maintaining the reed of the secas the reed of the first section. l

6. In a loom for the weaving of two fabY rios, one above the other, ia. breast-beam overl which the woven upper' fabric is drawn, andi ond section ina path ofthes'ame amplitude a take-up roll for said woven upper fabricl.

disposed rearwardly of'fsaid ,breast-beam, whereby the weaving ofthe lower fabric is visible from the front of the loom.

7. In` a loom for the Weaving of two fab izo rics, one abovethe other, means for revers- 113@ magma *ing tbe direction of the upperlwoven fabric v abovethe plane of the weaving of the lower fabric, whereby the weaving of Saicllower fabric is visible from the front of the loom.

8. Ina 100m for the weaving of two fabrcs in upper andv lower horizontal planes,

'10' 4 vthe front of the loom.

lmeans for directing the wov'enupper fabr1c rearwardly 111 a plane between the planes of weaving of the two fabrics, whereby the weaving' of the lower fabric s Yislble'from v '#9, In a loom for the weaving of twofabrics'u uppery and lowerjhorizontal planesz u 4(I-cllluk-'ct thisatent may be obtained for 'meaus for directing tbe woven upper fabric rearwardly in a lplane between the planes of weaving of the two fabrics, whereby vthe weavmg ofthe lower fabric '1g visible from the front of the loom, and a mirror above the plane of weaving of the upper fabric, whereby the weaving of said upper fabric is visible from the front of the loom.

ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Pafets, Washington, 1L C. p 

